Happy New Year
December 27th, 2011Black Grouse Work Experience.
December 1st, 2011Recently two young pupils from the Arran High school experienced hands on work with the Arran Black Grouse Group. Sarah Jenkins and Drew Ashley worked on all aspects of the re-introduction programme. They helped repair a release pen on the moor and then assisted in the preparation of this years poults ready for release. This included catching the birds, treating them for parasites they may have picked up from their surrogate mother hens, weighing the birds and finally placing a small radio transmitter round their necks. The radio transmitters have a unique code that helps with the tracking the bird’s progress in the wild. They then transferred the birds to the moor pens to acclimatise them prior to release onto the moor Both youngsters thoroughly enjoyed themselves and gained valuable experience and skills with this important wildlife project. .
Special Thank You
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Hoey, from England, who has made a generous donation to the Arran Black Grouse Group. This will go towards the purchase of more birds.
As this is a voluntary organization we are extremely thankful to Miss Hoey for her kind contribution.
Arran Black Grouse – Annual Report 2011
October 11th, 2011September 2010-August 2011
1. Introduction
2010/2011 was another challenging season in terms of poults produced but egg production
and fertility was good. A hen may have attempted to nest in the wild and several birds
have now survived for 2 winters. Forestry Commission Scotland began supporting the
Group again and offered ground for release sites.
2. 2011 Breeding Stock
A single pair were bought in from Grouse’R'Us but ?? males and ?? females died during
the year leaving a breeding stock at the start of the season of ?? males and 12 females.
Table A details age and provenance of the stock.
Table A’. 2011 Breeding stock
3. 2011 Breeding
12 females laid ?? eggs resulting in 7 poults (Table B). 4 different systems were used to
hatch eggs and approximately ?? proved infertile or the fertilised egg died at an early
stage. ?? eggs hatched.
Table B: 2011 Breeding success
|
Provenance
|
Age
|
Number of cocks
|
Number of hens
|
|
Grouse’R'Us
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
|
Grouse’R'Us
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Bowker
|
3
|
10
|
10
|
|
Bowker
|
2
|
5
|
|
|
Arran
|
2
|
1
|
|
|
Total
|
12
|
12
|
|
*
|
No of Eggs
|
No hatched
|
No of poults
|
|
Broody hen. full incubation
|
57
|
10
|
8
|
|
Incubator until final hatching stage then broody hen
|
48
|
0
|
0
|
|
Greyhen
|
11
|
0
|
0
|
4. 2010 Release Cohort
8 birds, 5 cocks and 3 hens, were fitted with radio tags and released on 17th September
at the 2009 site after being in the release enclosure for 2 weeks. The average weight
when tagged was 1.17kg for cocks and 0.91kg for hens. One female remained in radio
contact until late May but unfortunately the other 7 birds died before the 2011 breeding
season. Exact cause of death is unknown although 5 were eaten to some degree. Details
of each bird is given below:
male 1 – found 0.3km from release site on 18/10/10.
male 2 – found 1.7km from release site on 16/03/11. Ring foot missing.
male 3 – found 0.3km from release site on 21/01/11. Growth on ring foot.
male 4 – found 0.0km from release site on 16/03/11. Growth on ring foot.
male 5 – found 1.0km from release site on 30/09/10.
female 1 – found 3.0km from release site on 25/11/10.
female 2 – found O.lkm from release site on 08/04/11. Growth on ring foot. Tagged
weight 0.92kg, dead weight 0.64kg. Post mortem recorded severe infestation
of scaly leg mite which would reduce feeding ability and probably contributed
to death.
female 3 – signal picked up on 20th May in good habitat 7.6km from release site after
disappearing from normal range; the last record from her normal range was on
21st April. Another live signal was recorded on 23rd May in the same area but a
dead signal was received on 25th; strangely there was no signal after that.
This hen appears to have set up a new home range and may have attempted to
nest.
It is probable that scaly leg mite was a factor in death of at least 4 of the birds. The
mite is most likely to have been passed on from the broody hens and all broody hens in
2011 were treated.
One interesting sighting was made on 12/12/10 when 4 males and 2 females were seen
together; 1 of the males must have been from the 2009 release.
5. 2009 Cohort
During the lekking period of 2011 2 males were seen together and single males were
recorded lekking 0.7km apart. One cock was lekking in the same place on at least 4
occasions. No hens were seen.
|
Incubator.full incubation
|
44
|
11
|
0
|
|
Total
|
A single cock was seen several times in late July. All sigh+ings were within 2km of the
release site.
6. Targets & Achievements
a. Successful breeding producing a minimum of 40 poults annually – not achieved
b. Annual release of 30 birds for 5 years – not achieved
c. Lek established – a single bird was found lekking at the same site on at least 4
occasions
d. Breeding in the wild – a hen may have attempted to nest
e. Selfsustaining population after 5 years of release
7. Recommendations
for 2011 release and 2012 captive breeding 4.
Arran Black Grouse Group, 18/08/11
Black grouse make return to Arran
May 26th, 2009A reintroduction programme has seen iconic black grouse making a comeback on the isle of Arran.
A total of 14 pairs have been set up on the island, with some in pens and some released to set up territories, before further releases later in the year.
The last sighting of a black grouse on the island was said to be in 2000.
The scheme is being run by the Arran Black Grouse Group, the National Trust for Scotland, Arran Natural History Society and Scottish Natural Heritage.
National Trust for Scotland senior ranger Kate Sampson said: “It is great to see the black grouse finally arrive on Arran.
“This follows eight years of planning and hard work by the Arran Black Grouse Group, supported by essential funding from the National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage – as well as generous donations from local businesses and individuals from Arran.
“We will now keep the females and a few of the males in specially-designed pens intended to mimic natural habitat and reduce stress levels so that the birds can breed in safety this year.
“The chicks will then be released into the wild, where we hope they will flourish once again.”
Conservation experts will release a few unattached males through March, to enable them to set up territories and prepare for females which will be released later in 2009.
Historically, the black grouse received special protection on Arran.
In 1703, the book Description of the Western Islands of Scotland described how they were not allowed to be killed without a permit, under punishment of a fine.
Large numbers were being shot in the 19th Century but by the 1950s the black grouse was still a common breeding species right across Arran.
However, numbers continued to fall, and the National Trust for Scotland said the last recorded bird was a single female spotted in High Glen Cloy on 18 February, 2000.
In Britain, surveys carried out by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Game Conservancy Trust and Forest Enterprise, showed that the UK black grouse population fell from about 25,000 males in the early 1990s to an estimated 6,510 males in 1995/6.
It is thought the main reasons for decline include loss of habitat through intensive sheep grazing, agricultural improvements and changes in agriculture.
Increased numbers of predators such as foxes have also been blamed.
The Arran Black Grouse Group is made up of conservationists, estate managers, farmers, foresters and gamekeepers and began the reintroduction programme this week.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7912199.stm